Turbulence rectifier



Jan.31,1939. R. s. MK\EEVER 2,145,425

' TURBULENCE RECTIFIER Filed June 7, 1937 Y fiddle eel/ er,

'INVENTO A ORNE Patented Jan. 31, 1939 2,145,425

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE TURBULENCE: RECTIFIER Roy S. McKeever, Tulsa, Okla., assignor to Smith Separator Corporation, Tulsa, Okla, a corporation of Oklahoma Application June '7, 1937, Serial No. 146,931

4 Claims. (01. 183-237) This invention relates to a turbulence rectifier across the interior of the tubular member as for controlling fluid passing through a pipe or clearly shown in the drawing. the like, and while the device has been designed An obstruction 13 of ellipsoidal shape interspecifically for use with oil and gas separators, sects the vanes and is supported thereby in a 5 it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that position centrally of the tubular member 9 and 5 it has numerous other applications. about mid-way between the ends of the vanes.

The ordinary work of an oil and gas separator Obviously, the member l3 restricts the flow of where there is a better ratio between oil and gas fluid through the tubular member and causes the is a simple matter for complete separation, but fluid to travel through the tubular member be- 10 with an excessive gas volume and a small amount tween that member and the obstruction. 10 of oil, the gas has a tendency to carry over oil Instead of making the member 13 of ellipsoidal which is blown to the air and lost. Conventional shape, it may be spherical as shown at M in Fig. separators having ordinary pipes for introducing 4. The members It and I4 are shown as hollow, the mixture of oil and gas into the separating but of course, they may be made solid if desired.

' chamber are liable to be instrumental in the loss In operation, the mixture of oil and gas enters 15 of oil where the amount of gas is greatly in exthe device at A and is immediately expanded in cess of the amount of oil. the portion B, or rather the velocity is decreased It is the primary purpose of my invention to by the increased area of the medial portion of provide a separator inlet means which will check the device. The mixture is then split into a turbulence; assist in separating the oil from the plurality of streams which travel forwardly about 20 gas and prevent the loss of oil. the ellipsoid or sphere, and then the reverse ac- With the foregoing object outlined and with tion takes place as the mixture passes beyond the other objects in view which will appear as the end of the ellipsoid or sphere, until the velocity description proceeds, the invention consists in the of the fluid passing through C into the oil and novel features hereinafter described in detail, gas separator is the same as upon entering at A.

illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and Expansion immediately takes place when the more particularly pointed out in the appended mixture enters the separator on account of the claims. enlarged area in comparison with the area of the In the drawing: port C. My structure has the effect of eliminat- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an oil and gas ing the turbulence and the liquids entrained with 30 separator provided with my improved inlet means the gas are deposited upon the surfaces of the or turbulence rectifier. vanes and the ellipsoid or sphere.- Consequently, Fig. 21s an enlarged sectional view of the rectithe liquids pass into the separator in a partly fler taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. separated condition. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view A foamy and emulsified fluid consisting of a 35 taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. liquid and gas and having a turbulent motion, Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustratupon entering the port A will immediately expand ing a modification. and reduce its velocity which will allow settling Referring to the drawing, 5 designates an oil and time for breaking up of emulsified or foamy and gas separator having a gas outlet 6 and an particles or bubbles. Then the course of the 40 oil outlet 1. My improved intake means or stream will be straightened by entering the pasturbulence rectifier is shown at 8. It preferably sageways formed by the vanes and passing on to consists of an elongated hollow or tubular memthe ellipsoid or sphere, as will be clear from Fig. her 9 preferably of cylindrical shape and having 2. The pressure created on the fluid by the gradually contracted tapered end portions l0 smooth surface of the ellipsoid or sphere causes 45 which terminate in cylindrical extremities I I that the emulsified or foamy particles to further sepaare restricted in internal diameter in comparison rate and break down into a more dense liquid with the internal diameter of the portion 9. which separates from the free gas.

Vanes or partitions 12 are arranged in the tubu- From the foregoing, it will be understood that lar member and they are preferably radially dismy improved turbulence rectifier transforms a 50 posed, and act to divide fluid flowing through the turbulent and heterogeneous mass of liquid and device into a number of streams, preferably four. gas entering at A into smooth flowing streams Each vane or partition preferably extends from from which the liquid is at least partially reone contracted portion of the tubular member to moved by gathering on the vanes and ellipsoid or the other and each vane extends diametrically sphere. 55

While I have disclosed preferred embodiments of the invention shown in use with an oil and gas separator, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that many other embodiments may be made and that the device may be employed wherever it has utility. It should therefore be understood that I intend to claim all inherent novelty as expressed in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A turbulence rectifier comprising a tubular member having a cylindrical bore and end portions of restricted area in comparison with said bore, an obstruction arranged in the medial portion of the tubular member and of less diameter than the internal diameter of the medial portion of the member, said obstruction having substantially hemi-spherical opposite portions, and vanes arranged in the bore extending from one end portion to the other and forming a plurality of longitudinal passageways in the tubular member which are obstructed by said obstruction, the area between the medial portion of the obstruction and the bore being equal to either of the restricted end portions of the tubular member.

2. A turbulence rectifier comprising a tubular member having a cylindrical bore and end portions of restricted area in comparison with said bore, an obstruction of substantially ellipsoidal shape arranged in the medial portion of the tubular member and of less diameter than the internal diameter of the medial portion of said member, said obstruction having a cylindrical body and hemi-spherical end portions, and vanes arranged in the medial portion oi the tubular member extending from one end portion to the other and forming a plurality of longitudinal passageways in the tubular member which are obstructed by said obstruction, the area between the medial portion of the obstruction and the bore being equal to either of the restricted end portions of the tubular member.

3. A turbulence rectifier comprising a tubular member having a cylindrical bore and end portions of restricted. area in comparison with said bore, an obstruction of substantially ellipsoidal shape arranged in the medial portion of the tubular member and of less diameter than the internal diameter of the medial portion of said member, said obstruction having a cylindrical body and hemi-spherical end portions, and vanes arranged in the medial portion of the tubular member extending from one end portion to the other and forming a plurality of longitudinal passageways in the tubular member which are obstructed by said obstruction, the area between the medial portion of the obstruction and the bore being equal to either of the restricted end portions of the tubular member, said vanes intersecting one another between-said obstruction and the restricted end portions of the tubular member.

4. The combination with an upstanding oil and gas separator tank having an upper gas outlet and a lower liquid outlet, of means for conveying a mixture of oil and gas to and through the medial portion of the wall of said tank arranged at a point between said outlets, said means comprising a horizontally disposed tubular member arranged in close proximity to but exteriorly of said tank and having a cylindrical bore and end portions of restricted area in comparison with said bore, an obstruction arranged in the medial portion of the tubular member and having a circular outer surface of less diameter than the bore and equally spaced from the surface of the latter, said obstruction having substantially hemispherical opposite portions facing the restricted end portions of the tubular member, the area between the medial portion of the obstruction and the bore being equal to either of the restricted end portions of the tubular member, and vanes arranged in the bore, extending from one of said restricted end portions to the other and forming a plurality of equal passageways in the tubular member which are obstructed by said obstructions.

ROY S. MCKEEVER. 

